Slipping Away
by seasidehearts
Summary: Kairi struggles to remember Sora as all of the details about him slowly slip away from her. (pre-KH2, slight sokai)


**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, it's character's/plot, etc.**

Slipping Away

xOx

"_I'll come back to you—I promise!"_

It'd been about a week since I had heard those words, but they were still constantly echoing through my mind. "I know you will…" I whispered to myself before turning over and turning on the lamp beside my bed. I grabbed the picture off the table and flipped over onto my back, holding the picture close to my face as I studied every detail of Sora and Riku. It was so strange being home and living my life without them that I was convinced I was starting to forget what they looked like.

But every time I looked at that picture, I had to wonder how I could even think that. Sora's tan skin and goofy smile, Riku's silver hair and aquamarine eyes; everything was so familiar it almost hurt. I lightly tapped their images, hoping that somehow they'd become real. I sighed heavily and shook my head at myself, turning over and gently placing the picture frame back on the nightstand. Turning out the light, I knew I was going to dream about them again and wake up with a freshly broken heart.

xOx

I was grateful that Selphie invited me out to the play island with her, Tidus and Wakka, I really was, but I kept getting distracted. After silently escaping the group, I moved down to the water's edge and stared at the skyline. '_This is the last place I saw Sora_.' I held my hand over my heart and closed my eyes, picturing him as he called out to me for the last time.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed Selphie out of the corner of my vision. She was obviously very concerned, a frown clear on her face. I looked down, embarrassed, "Sorry…"

"It's okay, Kairi. You didn't have to come if you didn't want to. I'm just worried about you." I heard her reply softly.

I lifted my head, giving an apologetic smile, "No, I really did want to come! But…" I looked out over the ocean again, "I just really miss them." I turned back to her and saw her nod.

"I miss them too, but I know you guys were all really close and it hurts a lot more for you. Just know that I'm here any time you want to talk, okay?" She placed a hand on my shoulder, giving a bright smile as she added, "We girls gotta stick together, right?"

I smiled too, the first real one since I had returned home aside from the bittersweet moment of finding Sora's drawing in the secret place. "Right." I repeated.

"Good." She removed her hand from my shoulder and let it fall back to her side, "We should catch up with Tidus and Wakka, they're probably on the other side of the island by now. I was racing them, so I guess I lost. Oh well." She laughed it off.

"You can still race me, if you want." I suggested with a shrug.

Selphie blinked in surprise at first, but quickly agreed, "Okay, you're on!" With that, she dashed forward.

"Hey, not fair!" I called out with a laugh. Maybe it wasn't the same without Sora and Riku, but it was still home and I had plenty of people here that cared about me.

xOx

The next morning, I noticed Sora sort of looked faded in the photo next to my bed. Squinting, I used a nearby cloth to wipe off the glass but saw no improvement. "Huh? What's wrong with it?" I questioned as I flipped over the frame, removing the back and taking out the photo.

"No…" I stared in disbelief as I saw it was the actual picture that was messed up. "How did this happen?" I inwardly cursed at myself, frustrated and trying to remember if I had maybe spilled a drink or used some sort of cleaning product that could have caused the damage.

I had plenty of other pictures of us as kids, but this was the only recent one I had; a picture of what they look like right _now_. I felt tears stinging in my eyes but I didn't have time to dwell on it as I had to start getting ready for school. Wiping away the tears, I muttered quietly, "I'm sorry, Sora."

xOx

"Is it normal to not remember people's voices after not seeing them for a while?" I asked Selphie over the phone while I saw on the bed and twirled my hair around my finger, something I hadn't been able to do in years as I had usually kept my hair short.

"Yeah, why?" She questioned, curious.

Slipping underneath the blankets and stretching out my legs, I replied, worried, "I'm having a really hard time remembering Sora's voice. But I remember Riku's just fine."

"Hmm…" Selphie paused for a moment, "Well, it's already been a few months, so his voice has probably changed any way."

I crossed my arms, trying to think of Sora with a deep voice, "You think so?"

"Definitely. I mean, you've definitely gone through some growing yourself if you know what I mean. He'll probably be drooling over you when he comes back home." I could just picture the smirk on her face just from her tone of voice.

I blushed and gave an embarrassed laugh , "Well, if his voice is changed, I wonder if he got a lot taller, too…"

Selphie laughed a bit, "It sounds like you'll be drooling over him _too!_"

"Maybe. We'll see." I admitted sheepishly, smiling to myself.

She laughed again, "Well, I need to go to sleep, Kairi. Goodnight. See you tomorrow."

"Night." I repeated before hanging up and putting the phone on my nightstand. Picturing a new, older, Sora, I turned off the light and thought to myself, '_I hope you're still the same Sora I know on the inside.'_

xOx

Though I had been fighting it as long as possible, all that was left of Sora was an outline; both in the photo and in my memory. People on the island were already forgetting about him completely, including Selphie. I tried to avoid talking about him with her now because I had a feeling she probably thought I was going crazy. And honestly, I was starting to think maybe I _was_.

How could someone just fade away like that? And more importantly, why?

Why _Sora_?

I knew he was my best friend, as well as Riku's, and that he was off on other worlds. His voice, his appearance, his personality; it had all slipped away from me. I wasn't sure how long I could cling onto his name and the shadow that was left of him, but I knew I couldn't give up. '_He's depending on me. _Sora's_ depending on me._' I reminded myself constantly. I wrote his name all over my notebooks at school and random little pieces of paper around my house, I was so scared of it disappearing like everything else.

When it finally did leave me, I knew I had to do something more. I had to get a hold of him somehow, some way before he was completely gone. I grabbed a piece of paper and sat down on my bed, beginning to write.

_Thinking of you wherever you are,  
we pray for our sorrows to end  
and hope that our hearts will blend.  
Now I will step forward to realize this wish.  
And who knows?  
Starting a new journey may not be so hard.  
Or maybe it has already begun.  
There are so many worlds,  
but they all share the same sky.  
One sky—one destiny. _

_-Kairi_

"The boy I don't remember…" I said aloud as I rolled up the letter and stuck it into a glass bottle, "I hope we see each other again soon."_  
_


End file.
